Benjamin w



UNITED STATES Patented January 19, 1904;

PATENT OFFICE. i

BRIDLE AND BIT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 750,200, dated January 19, 1904.

n Application filed October 18, 1902. Serial'No. 127,844. (No model.)

To all whom t may' concern.:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN W. KINDIG, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at York, in the county of York and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Bridle and Bit, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to anv improved bridle and bit for horses, and has for its object to so improve the harness as to insure complete control of the animal without danger of injuring his mouth.

To the accomplishment of this object and others subordinate thereto the invention in its preferred embodiment consists in providing a novel overdraw-bit formed withviixed guides y for the reception of'the opposite ends of a flexible loop-bit, which is attached to the lines and encircles the lower jaw of the animal.

rIhe invention consists, further, in the equipment of the overdrawbit with a novel arrangement of strap-loops for the attachment of the several straps of the bridle and overdraw. K

In the accompanying drawings, wherein I have illustrated a preferable embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is a perspective View of the bridle equipped with the overdraw and loop bits, the horses head being indicated in dotted lines; and Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the overdraw-bit detached.

Like numerals of reference are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout both views. Y Y

The bridle preferably consists, as usual,'of the cheek-straps 1 and 2 and the head-band 3, secured to the rosettes 4, to which are also secured the crown-piece 5 and the throat-latch 6.

To the front ends of the face-pieces 7 and 8 of the overdraw 9 is secured an overdraw-bit 10, having integral end bars 11 disposed at right angles to the bit proper and provided with terminal eyes 12 to facilitate the attachment of the face-pieces. At the ends of the bars 11 opposite the eyes 12 are formed fixed rings or guides 13, which when the bit or bar 10 isin its natural position in the mouth of an animal are disposed below said bar and in rear thereof. Each of these circular guides or rings 13 is provided with a pair of strap-loops 14 and 15, designed, respectively, for the attachment of the nose band or strap 16 and the lower end of the cheek-straps 1 and 2. Since the end bars 11 of thebit 10 are extended laterally in opposite directions from the bit and are equipped at their opposite ends with means for the attachment of the overdrawand of the nose and cheekv straps, respectively, it follows that the bit will be firmly held and will not be permitted to turn in the horses mouth.

The guide-rings 13 are designed to receive and guide the ends of a iieXible loop-bit 17, preferably in the form of a leather strap looped around the lower jaw of the horse and crossed in themouth over thetongue. The ends of the bit 17 are provided with bit-rings 18 for the direct attachment of the reins or lines 19, as shown in Fig. 1. Under ordinary conditions the loop-bit will not be severely constricted around the horses jaw; but as the ends of the bit pass through the guide-rings rigid with the overdraw-bit a slight pull upon either line will cause one end or the other of the bit 10 to bedrawn back slightly for the purpose of properly guiding the animal. Under conditions demanding greater severity, however, an exaggerated pull upon the lines will draw the ends of the bit through the guidev rings, constricting the loop-bit around the jaw with such force as may be necessary to insure the control of the horse. It should be noted in this connection that by providing the overdraw-bit with xed guides as disktinguished from loose guides for the ends of the loop-bit all possibility of injury to the animals mouth by the forcing of the guides against the jaw is prevented. The presence of the overdraw-bit between the teeth will prevent the animal from gripping the loopbit between the jaws and from chewing the strap. l

It will appear from the foregoing that I have produced a novel bridle and bit attachment therefor by means of which the control of a horse may be accomplished by only such severity as is necessary and withoutv possibility of injury to the mouth; lbut while the illustrated embodiment of the invention appears at this time to be preferable I do not limit myself to the structural details dened, as, on

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the contrary, I reserve the right to effect such changes, modifications, and variations of the illustrated structure as may be suggested by experience and experiment and embraced within the scope of the protection prayed.

What I claim isl. The combination with an overdr'aw-bit provided with fixed guide-rings extending laterally therefrom at its opposite ends, of a iiexible loop-bit designed to encircle the lower jaw of a horse and having its ends passed through the guide-rings, means for attaching an overdraw to the overdraw-bit, and means for attaching the lines to the ends of the loop-bit.

2. The combination with a bridle including cheek-straps,an overdraw and a nose-strap, of an overdraw-bit connected to the overdraw and provided with fixed guide-rings extending laterally from the bit and connected to the nose-strap and cheek-straps, a flexible loop-bit designed to encircle the lower jaw of a horse and having its ends passed through the guide-rings, and means for attaching the lines to the ends of the loop-bit.

3. An overdraw-bit formed in a single integral structure and comprising the bit proper, straight end bars extended above and below the same, parallel elongated eyes at the upper ends of the end bars, coaxial guide-rings extended rearwardly from the end bars at points below the bit and having their upper sides located in the horizontal plane of the bit proper when the end bars are disposed vertically, and strap-loops carried by the guide-rings for the attachment of the nose and cheek straps of the bridle. Y

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

BENJAMIN W. KINDIG, JR.

Witnesses:

DONALD H. Yos'r, JACOB E. WEAVER. 

